The Chatterbox

The Chatterbox

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archives

February 29, 2012
The Ohio School Shooting: Why? Why? Why?
Monday's tragic school shooting in Chardon, Ohio, has left the community reeling and the nation wondering WHY??? Was T.J. Lane, the 17-year-old alleged shooter, bullied by other students? Was he dealing drugs? Was it over a recent break-up with his girlfriend? Was it because he was a lonely student raised by his grandfather rather than his parents? Those rumors and theories are all circulating in the media. Right now, all we know is that three of the five students who were shot are dead. As we wait for more details and try to cope with such a devastating event, we all tend...
Bullying, Ohio school shooting, school shootings, school violence
February 24, 2012
J.K. Rowling's Book for Grown-Ups
Expectations are higher than a Harry Potter quidditch match for J.K. Rowling's upcoming novel for adults. She just announced the book will be published sometime this year by Little, Brown, sending the Pottersphere into a tweeting, gleeful frenzy. The superstar author has basically only revealed that the new book is geared toward adults (perfect for kids who grew up with Harry Potter and are now gown-ups like Daniel Radcliffe) and is very different than her Harry Potter series (which could be a good or bad thing). How could she possibly top the seven Potter books, which have more...
Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, new J.K. Rowling book
February 16, 2012
Scary Trend: Mother-Daughter Eating Disorders
Here's a stunning fact: If you're related to someone who has an eating disorder, you're 10 times more likely to develop one yourself than someone without a history of disorders like anorexia and bulimia. That's bad news for today's kids (especially girls), considering how many moms struggle with some type of eating issue, from emotional binging to rollercoaster dieting to downright starvation. Studies have shown that girls start worrying they're fat as early as their preschool years. Weight and body image obsession are in their face through the...
eating disorders; children and the media; healthy eating; mother-daughter relationships
February 10, 2012
Is the "One Million Moms" J.C. Penney Boycott a "Witchhunt" Against Ellen?
An unlikely voice spoke up for Ellen DeGeneres this week: Bill O'Reilly. J.C. Penney recently chose Ellen, who is openly gay, as their new spokesperson, sparking outrage among conservative Christian group, One Million Moms, who are boycotting the store because they want Ellen replaced. On Tuesday night's "O'Reilly Factor," the Fox News pundit defended J.C. Penney's employment of Ellen and compared the One Million Moms movent to '50s McCarthyism. He also called the situation a "witchhunt" and "against the spirit of America." Ellen...
Bill O'Reilly, Ellen DeGeneres, Gay Rights, JC Penney, One Million Moms
February 1, 2012
Autism and Asperger's: Grossly Overdiagnosed?
One of our most popular printables on FamilyEducation.com is a "Characteristics Checklist for Asperger's Syndrome: Social Interactions" (one of several Asperger's characteristics checklists on our site). Thousands of parents check it out each month, wondering (frantically) "Could my child have Asperger's?" The answer to that question may change by next  year, when the definition of autism will probably narrow, leaving out some people with "higher-functioning" forms of autism, such as "mild" Asperger's or P.D.D.-N.O.S. So, hold...
ASD, Asperger diagnosis, Asperger Syndrome, Asperger's, Autism, PDD-NOS